Tilting dump body



June 8, 1943. E. H. ALLEN TILTING DUMP BODY Filed June 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 8, 1943. E. H. ALLEN TILTING DUMP BODY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l5, 1940 Patented June 8, 1943 'IILTING DUMP BODY Edwin H. Allen, Janesville, Wis., assigner to Highway Trailer Company, Edgerton, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application June 15, 1940, Serial No. 340,727

8 Claims.

This invention relates to vehicle bodies of the type designed for use in collecting trash, garbage, ashes and the like. Such bodies are commonly mounted on trailer vehicles, sometimes hauled by horses during the collection of the material and then coupled into motor-propelled trains for transporting the material to a dump or incinerator. In other cases the vehicles are of the semi-trailer type, each provided with its own motor-driven tractor, and this is the type chosen for illustrating the present invention. The body itself is of the upwardly open hopper form, mounted for tilting to dump its contents, and, as illustrated, it is arranged to be tilted by rolling on transverse rails of the vehicle frame toward one side or the other for discharging its contents laterally. In loading such a body by hand from relatively small receptacles by which the garbage or ashes are carried to the vehicle, these receptacles must be lifted the height of the side of the hopper body for dumping into it. The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the height to which these loads must be manually lifted by lowering the edge of the body at one side temporarily and during at least a portion of the loading process. The invention thus comprises various features and elements of construction by which the body may be partially tilted to one side or the other for lowering the height of one lateral edge, together with means for holding it thus adjusted and thereafter returning it to normal upright position or tilting it for dumping its load.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 isa side elevation of a semi-trailer tted with a dumping body with this invention applied thereto, and showing the body partially tilted for lowering its lateral edge at the loading side.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. l, including the mechanism for accomplishing and controlling the partial tilting of the body.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing a modified construction for the same purpose.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation showing a further modication of the mechanism for tilting the body to lower the edge over which its load is in-` troduced.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken as indicated at line 5-5 on Fig. 4.

As shown in the drawings, the semi-trailer includes a drop frame I supported on a pair of rear wheels 2 and'at the front end resting on the rear portion of the frame of a tractor vehicle indicated at 3. The longitudinal members of the frame I Support cross-rails 4, 4, and the body itself is fitted with curved rockers 5, 5 adapted to roll on the rails 4, 4 to tilt the body toward one side or the other for dumping its load. Fig. l includes uprights 6, 6 and horizontal rails 'I extending over the body to carry removable curtains for covering the load, if desired. But the curtains themselves are omitted for the sake of clearness in illustrating other features.

At the rear end of the frame I there is provided an upstanding A-frame 8, which supports locking mechanism for holding the body in its normal upright position, and arranged to be released to allow it to roll to dumping position. To avoid undue stress on the locking mechanism'the body is fitted with check chains 9 at both sides, which may be adjusted in connection with tension springs Il) for steadying the body in its upright position, these chains being released whenever it is desired to dump the load. The locking mechanism includes a vertically movable bolt II, engaging a keeper block I2, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is secured to the end wall I 3 of the hopper body. Ordinarily, the bolt would be mounted in a iixed guideway carried by the A-frame 8, but for the purpose of the present invention this guideway is provided in an adjustable frame I4, pivoted at I5 to a cross-bar I6 of the A-rame, so that it may be swung laterally through a limited range to either side of its normal mid-position.

Fig. 2 shows thevframe I 4 thus tilted, so that the hopper body, indicated in full lines at I'I, is correspondingly tilted with the locking bolt II still engaged in the keeper I2 and with one lateral edge I8 considerably lower as compared with its For shifting the guide frame I4 there is sup` ported on the A-frame 8, a rotatable sleeve I9, journaled in a bearing bracket 20, and internally threaded for engagement with a threaded rod 2 I. One end of the rod is connected by a link 22, with a crank arm 23, rigidly associated with the frame I4, so that when the sleeve I9 is rotated, as by means of a removable crank handle 24, the

threaded rod 2| is fed horizontally into or out orv the sleeve I9 and its movement is transmitted to the guide frame I4 for adjusting it to tilted position or returning it to mid-position, with the locking bolt II extending vertically. Preferably, the upper end of the A-frame may be inter-engaged with the arcuate member I4a of the frame I4 to steady the latter throughout its range of adjustment.

As usual, the keeper'block I2 is formed with inclined approaches 25 and the locking bolt II is urged yieldingly toward its locking position by springs 26 so that when the body is rocked from dumping position back to its normal upright position the bolt will engage automatically in the keeper I2. For releasing it there is provided a transversely extending lever 21, pivotally connected to the lower end of the -bolt at 28 and extending through guide slots in the flanged edges I4b of the frame I4. The ends of the lever 2'I extend toward both sides of the vehicle, so that it may be operated from either side; when one end is depressed, a portion of the lever beyond the pivot 28 fulcrums against the upper end of its guide slot in the flange I4b, thus causing the pivot 28 to be moved downward for withdrawing the bolt I I from the keeper I2.

Fig. 3 shows a somewhat simpler arrangement for permitting the body to be partially tilted so as to lower one edge to facilitate loading. In this structure the end wall I3 of the body is fitted with a casting 30, which provides three separate keeper slots at 3|, 32 and 33, respectively. The A-frame 8 includes a fixed guideway for a locking bolt 34, having a spring 35 urging it normally to locking position and provided with a lever 36 by which it may be released in the usual manner. When the body stands at its normal upright position the bolt 34 will engage in the keeper slot 32. Then, if it is desired to partially tilt the body to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, the locking bolt 34 may be momentarily withdrawn from the keeper slot 32, while the body is rocked laterally, and, preferably, under manual control, until the bolt 34 engages in the slot 3l. Or, if the body is to be tilted to the other side, the slot 33 will receive the bolt 34. The approaches to each of the keeper slots 3|, 32 and 33 are inclined, as illustrated, so as to facilitate entry of the bolt as each slot approaches the position of registration therewith. But, of course, when the body is to be tilted from upright position to dumping position the bolt 34 will be held withdrawn by means of the lever 36, until the keeper 3l or 33 has passed registering position.

Another arrangement for the same purpose is shown in Fig. 4, in which, as in Fig. 3, the locking bolt 34 is guided in a fixed guideway in the A- frame 8, and provided with a spring 35 and release lever 36. Cooperating with the bolt 34, is a keeper block 46, which is adjustably mounted on the end wall I3 of the body. The block 46 is slidably carried on a guide rail 4I, and its adjustment along this rail is controlled by a threaded traveler 42, carried on a feed screw 43, which is journaled in bearings 44, 44, and extends crosswise of the end of the body. The traveler includes a forked portion forming a slot 45, engaging a stud 46 on the keeper block 4U, so that movement of the traveler 42 along the feed screw 43 adjusts the vblock 4i) along the guide rail 4I. As a matter of fact, however, if the block 4D be kept engaged with the locking bolt 34, the rotation of the feed screw 43 has the effect of shifting the body itself as the relation of the keeper block 4U to the body is thus altered. With the traveler 42 positioned at the middle of the length of the feed screw 43, and with the block 4i) correspondingly adjusted to mid-position on the curved guide rail 4I, the body will be held at its normal upright, load-carrying position. Then, yby release of the bolt 34 it may be dumped in the usual manner. But if it is desired to lower one edge of the body to facilitate loading it, a removable hand crank 41 will be applied to the squared end of the feed screw 43 at the side of the body which is to be lowered, and as the screw 43 is rotated in the proper direction, the body will be tilted to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4. After partial loading in this lposition it will be a simple matter to return the body to its upright position by reverse rotation of the feed screw 43.

It may be understood that for the purposes of this invention the check chains 3 will be made somewhat longer than they would be otherwise. That is, each of these chains should be long enough to be adjustable for steadying the body in partially tilted position, as indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4; then yby means of the usual locking` levers they can be re-adjusted to a shorter length for steadying the body in upright position.

In this typeof Vehicle the tilting body is provided, in any event, with stay chains or cables and with a locking device for holding it positively in upright position. Hence, the present invention in any of the forms above described adds very little structure to accomplish the additional result of lowering one side of the body during a portion of the loading operation so as to facilitate this work, leaving only the final loading to be effected with the body in its upright position. With the continuously adjustable mechanisms of Figs. 2 and 4 the body may be shifted gradually from its partially tilted position to its upright position as the loading progresses, so that only a small portion of the load need be added with the body in its final upright position.

While there is shown and described herein certain specic structure embodying the invention,

it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that4 various modifications and re-arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except in so far as indicated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle comprising a frame and a body thereon mounted to tip laterally to discharge its load, a locking bolt on the frame, a keeper therefor on the body engageable with the bolt when the body is at upright position, and means for shifting the bolt laterally on the frame for holding the body tilted between its upright position and its dumping position to facilitate loading.

2. In a vehicle comprising a frame and abody thereon movably mounted to tip laterally to discharge its load, locking means comprising a keeper on the body, a locking bolt and a guide therefor adjustably mounted on the frame, said bolt being engageable with the keeper when the body is at upright position and remaining engaged when the guide is adjusted laterally for tilting the body between its upright position and its dumping position, and adjusting means operable to shift the guide and adapted to hold A1t positively at any position within its range of adjustment.

3. Ina vehicle comprising a frame and a body thereon mounted to tip laterally to discharge its load, said frame including an upright portion at one end, a guide Vcarried by said upright portion, a locking bolt in said guide and a keeper on the end of the body engageable with said bolt, said bolt normally holding the body at upright position, and threaded adjusting means mounted on said upright portion of the frame in operative engagement with the guide and manually operable for shifting said guide laterally to partially tilt the body for lowering one side thereof to facilitate loading.

4. In a vehicle comprising a frame and a body thereon mounted to tip laterally to discharge its load, positive locking means connecting the body to the frame when the body is at upright position and comprising a bolt on the frame, and a keeper on the body with means for adjusting said keeper laterally on the body while the bolt remains engaged therewith, whereby the body may be tilted to an angle between its upright position and its dumping position for lowering one side of the body to facilitate loading.

5. In a vehicle comprising a frame and a body thereon mounted to tip laterally in either direction to discharge its load, said frame including an upright portion at one end with a locking bolt slidably carried thereby, a keeper block and a guideway on the end of the body along which said keeper block is adjustable across the body and which serves to maintain said block in position for engagement with the locking bolt, together with adjusting means for so shifting the keeper block along the guideway, said means being formed to hold the block positively at any position throughout its range of adjustment.

6. In a vehicle comprising a frame and a body thereon mounted to tip laterally in either direction to discharge its load, a locking bolt guided on the frame adjacent the end of the body, a guide extending crosswise on the end of the body and a keeper block adjustable along said guide in locking relation to said bolt, a feed screw journaled to extend across they end of the body adjacent said guide with a traveler on said screw formed to maintain engagement with the keeper block throughout its range of adjustment along the guide and to effect such adjustment when the feed screw is rotated, whereby the body may be maintained in positively locked relation to the frame and tilted between its upright position and its dumping position for lowering one side of the body to facilitate loading.

7. In a vehicle comprising a frame and a body thereon mounted to tip laterally to discharge its load, cooperating locking members comprising a bolt and a keeper, one of which is mounted on the frame and the other on the body, said bolt and keeper being normally positioned for securing the body in upright position and being disengageable to permit tilting the body to dumpingposition, and means for adjusting one of said locking members laterally on the part on which it is mounted, and without disengaging it from the other member, for holding the body to the frame tilted at a position between its upright position and its dumping position to facilitate loading.

8. In a Vehicle comprising a frame and a body thereon mounted to tip laterally to discharge its load, cooperating locking means comprising a bolt on the frame and a keeper on the body, said bolt and keeper being normally positioned for securing the body in upright position and being disengageable to permit tilting the body to dumping position, and means for adjusting one of said locking members laterally on the part on which it is mounted, and without disengaging it from the other member, for holding the body to the frame tilted at a position between its upright position and its dumping position to facilitate loading.

EDWIN H. ALLEN. 

